EP1721810B1 - Automotive body structure - Google Patents

Automotive body structure Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1721810B1
EP1721810B1 EP20060251874 EP06251874A EP1721810B1 EP 1721810 B1 EP1721810 B1 EP 1721810B1 EP 20060251874 EP20060251874 EP 20060251874 EP 06251874 A EP06251874 A EP 06251874A EP 1721810 B1 EP1721810 B1 EP 1721810B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
wheel house
body structure
wall
automotive body
attached
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
EP20060251874
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1721810A2 (en
EP1721810A3 (en
Inventor
Yoshinori c/o Honda R&D Co. Ltd. Fukushi
Mikio c/o Honda R&D Co. Ltd. Shibaoka
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Honda Motor Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Honda Motor Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Honda Motor Co Ltd filed Critical Honda Motor Co Ltd
Publication of EP1721810A2 publication Critical patent/EP1721810A2/en
Publication of EP1721810A3 publication Critical patent/EP1721810A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1721810B1 publication Critical patent/EP1721810B1/en
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

Links

Images

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
    • B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
    • B62D25/00—Superstructure or monocoque structure sub-units; Parts or details thereof not otherwise provided for
    • B62D25/08—Front or rear portions
    • B62D25/088—Details of structures as upper supports for springs or dampers

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an automotive body structure which can effectively increase the rigidity of a part thereof supporting a wheel suspension damper.
  • An automotive suspension system essentially consists of a suspension arm, a spring and a damper.
  • the damper is placed in a wheel house typically in an upright orientation, and the upper end thereof is supported by the upper wall of the wheel house ( Japanese patent laid open publication No. 2004-92753 , also published as EP 1 393 936 , describing the preamble to claim 1).
  • the damper is resiliently supported by a damper base of the wheel house via mounting rubbers so as to prevent transmission of oscillations owing to road irregularities and kickbacks from the road surface.
  • cup-shaped rubber holders 21 and 22 are spot welded to the upper and lower surfaces of the damper base 16 provided as a part of an upper wall of the wheel house 15, respectively. And, with mounting rubbers 17 and 18 received in these rubber holders 21 and 22, a rod 20a of a damper 20 is passed through the damper base 16 and the rubber holders 21 and 22, and a nut 24 is threaded onto this rod 20a.
  • a primary object of the present invention is to provide an automotive body structure that can effectively increase the rigidity of the part supporting a damper in the wheel house, and thereby improve the motion stability and ride quality of the automobile.
  • a second object of the present invention is .to provided an automotive body structure that can increase the rigidity of the wheel house with minimum amount of material and effort.
  • the present invention provides an automotive body structure for supporting an upper end of a wheel suspension damper via an upper mounting rubber and a lower mounting rubber, comprising: a wheel house including an upper wall; an upper rubber holder attached to an upper surface of the upper wall of the wheel house and defining a retaining recess for receiving the upper mounting rubber; and a lower rubber holder attached to a lower surface of the upper wall of the wheel house and defining a retaining recess for receiving the lower mounting rubber; wherein at least one of the upper and lower rubber holders is provided with a closed cross section forming part extending from a peripheral part of the corresponding retaining recess and attached to a part of the wheel house so as to jointly form a closed cross section.
  • the rigidity of the damper supporting portion in the wheel house is improved, the motion stability and ride quality are avoided from being impaired owing to the displacement of the part supporting the damper. Also, it can be accomplished by using a minimum amount of material and effort. In particular, the manufacture of the rubber holders is simplified, and attaching of the rubber holders to the wheel house is facilitated.
  • the upper and lower rubber holders as well as other parts of the automotive body typically consist of stamp formed sheet metal such as steel, aluminum or other plates.
  • the closed cross section forming part comprises an inboard part of the upper and/or lower rubber holder which is bent downwardly along a line extending in a fore-and-aft direction and attached to a side wall of the wheel house.
  • the upper wall of the wheel house comprises a damper base including a main portion and an elevated wall portion provided on an outboard side of the main portion, the elevated wall portion being raised relative to the main portion, and the closed cross section forming part comprises an outboard part of the upper and/or lower rubber holder which is attached to the elevated wall portion.
  • the upper and lower rubber holders are each provided with a closed section forming part on an inboard part thereof which is bent downwardly along a line extending in a fore-and-aft direction and attached to a side wall of the wheel house, the lower ends of the downwardly bent parts of the closed section forming part extending in a fore-and-aft direction and being provided with wavy shaped edges which are 180 degree off phase relative to each other so that the downwardly projecting parts of the wavy shaped edges may be spot welded to the side wall of the wheel house at positions which are mutually offset from each other.
  • Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automotive body embodying the present invention
  • Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a part of Figure 1 indicated by II
  • Figure 3 is an enlarged view as seem from the direction indicated by III in Figure 1 .
  • the illustrated embodiment consists of four-door sedan in the form of a hatch back automobile 1 which is provided with a tailgate 3 in a rear end of a car body 2.
  • the car body 2 consists of a monocoque body that is formed by spot welding together a rear panel 4, a roof panel 5, a rear floor panel 6 and a pair of outer panels 7 and 8.
  • the tailgate 3 is attached to the rear end of the roof panel 5 via a hinge (not shown in the drawings) so as to swing upward around the hinge.
  • a support strut 9 applies a force to the tailgate 3 to keep it open.
  • the carpet and trims in the trunk room are omitted from illustration to aid understanding.
  • a trunk room 13 by the rear floor panel 6, a pair of rear wheel houses 15 and a pair of rear inner panels 12.
  • a floor frame 14 having a rectangular cross section and formed by spot welding a floor frame inner 14a and a floor frame outer 14b to each other.
  • the rear floor panel 6 is spot welded to the inboard wall of the floor frame 14 and a wheel house inner 15a is spot welded to the outboard wall of the floor frame 14.
  • the wheel house inner 15a is spot welded to the wheel house outer 15b with the rear inner panel 12 interposed between them so as to form the wheel house 15.
  • a damper base 16 (damper supporting portion) is attached to an upper part of the wheel house 15, and an upper end of a damper 20 is resiliently supported by this damper base 16 via an upper mounting rubber 17 and a lower mounting rubber 18.
  • the damper base 16 consists of a stamp formed steel plate, and is provided with an upper flange 16a extending upward from an outboard end thereof and spot welded to the rear inner panel 12, and a lower flange 16b extending downward from an inboard end thereof is spot welded to the wheel house inner 15a.
  • the damper base 16 forms a part of the upper wall of the wheel house 15, and includes a damper mounting portion or main portion 16d supporting the upper end of the damper 20 and an elevated wall portion 16c provided on the outboard end of the main portion 16d and one step higher than the main portion 16d.
  • the outboard end of the elevated wall portion 16c continues to the upper flange 16a, and the inboard end of the main portion 16d continues to the lower flange 16b.
  • an upper rubber holder 21 provided with a retaining recess 21 a for retaining the upper mounting rubber 17 on an upper surface thereof and a lower rubber holder 22 provided with a retaining recess 22a for retaining the lower mounting rubber 18 on a lower surface thereof.
  • a rod 20a of the damper 20 is passed through both the upper and lower mounting rubbers 17 and 18, and a nut 24 is threaded with this rod 20a via a washer 23.
  • a closed cross section forming part 21b having a substantially rectangular cross section extends radially from a part of the upper rubber holder 21 defining an open (upper) end of the retaining recess 21a, and a flange 21c extending from the outboard end of this closed cross section forming part 21b is spot welded to the elevated wall portion 16c of the damper base 16.
  • the inboard end of the closed cross section forming part 21b is bent downward along a line extending in the fore-and-aft direction so as to form a downwardly extending flange 21d.
  • the lower end of the downwardly extending flange 2 1 d is spot welded to the lower flange 16b of the damper base 16.
  • a closed cross section 25 is defined between the closed cross section forming part 21b and the damper base 16 around the area surrounding the retaining recess 21 a.
  • the front and rear ends of the closed cross section forming part 21b are each provided with a downwardly extending vertical wall 21 e.
  • a closed cross section forming part 22b having a substantially rectangular cross section extends radially from an open (lower) end of the retaining recess 22a, and a flange 22c extending from the outboard end of the closed cross section forming part 22b is spot welded to the elevated wall portion 16c of the damper base 16.
  • the inboard end of the closed cross section forming part 22b is bent downward along a line extending in the fore-and-aft direction so as to define a downwardly extending flange 22d.
  • the lower end of this flange 22d is spot welded to the wheel house inner 15a.
  • a closed cross section 26 is defined between the closed cross section forming part 22b and the damper base 16 around the area surrounding the retaining recess 22a.
  • the front and rear ends of the closed cross section forming part 22b are each provided with an upwardly extending vertical wall 22e.
  • the lower ends of the downwardly extending flange 21d of the upper rubber holder 21 and the flange 22d of the lower rubber holder 22 that extend in the fore-and-aft direction are respectively provided with wavy shapes which are 180 degree off phase from each other so that the they may be spot welded to the wheel house inner 15a and damper base 16, respectively, at positions which are mutually offset from each other.
  • the damper mounting portion 16d of the damper base 16 is subjected to a significant vertical load.
  • the closed cross section forming parts 21b and 22b of the upper rubber holder 21 and lower rubber holder 22 define closed cross sections 25 and 26, respectively, in cooperation with the damper base 16, combined with the provision of the vertical walls 2 1 e and 22e in the upper and lower rubber holders 21 and 22, the damper base 16 is given with a high rigidity so that the reduction in motion stability and impairment of ride quality owing to the displacement of the point supporting the damper can be avoided as opposed to the prior art.
  • Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of an automotive body according to a second embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the second embodiment.
  • the second embodiment differs from the foregoing first embodiment in that the closed cross section forming part is omitted from the lower rubber holder and a reinforcing stiffener is provided on a side wall of the wheel house.
  • the lower rubber holder 22 of the second embodiment is cup-shaped in a conventional manner so as to simply retain the lower mounting rubber 18, and is not provided with a closed cross section forming part that would define a closed cross section in cooperation with the damper base 16.
  • a side wall of the wheel house 15 is provided with a stiffener 31 consisting of a stamp formed steel plate.
  • the stiffener 31 is generally planar and provided with a central rib 31a.
  • the upper end of the stiffener 31 is spot welded to the downwardly extending flange 21 d of the upper rubber holder 21, and the lower end of the stiffener 31 is spot welded to the floor frame 14 or the upper (outboard) flanges of the floor frame inner 14a and a floor frame outer 14b which are placed one over the other.
  • the damper mounting portion or main portion 16d of the damper base 16 is firmly attached to the floor frame 14 so that not only the rigidity of the damper mounting portion 16d of the wheel house 15 but also the overall rigidity of the trunk room 13 is improved.
  • the torsional and bending deformations of the automotive body are effectively controlled with the result that motion stability and ride quality can be improved, and noises and vibrations can be reduced.
  • the present invention was described in terms of preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited by the illustrated embodiments, and can be modified in a wide ranging manner.
  • the illustrated embodiment was applied to the rear body structure of a four door sedan, but may also be applied to the rear body structure of other types of motor vehicles.
  • only the lateral ends of the upper rubber holder and/or the lower rubber holder were attached to the wheel house, but the front and rear ends (vertical walls) may also be attached to the wheel house.
  • the upper rubber holder and the lower rubber holder were spot welded to the damper base in the foregoing embodiments, but may also be attached thereto by using rivets or the likes. Furthermore, the specific shapes of the rubber holders and the damper stiffener can be freely modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)
EP20060251874 2005-05-13 2006-04-03 Automotive body structure Expired - Fee Related EP1721810B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2005140645A JP4315929B2 (ja) 2005-05-13 2005-05-13 自動車の車体構造

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1721810A2 EP1721810A2 (en) 2006-11-15
EP1721810A3 EP1721810A3 (en) 2007-07-25
EP1721810B1 true EP1721810B1 (en) 2009-01-07

Family

ID=36498700

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20060251874 Expired - Fee Related EP1721810B1 (en) 2005-05-13 2006-04-03 Automotive body structure

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1721810B1 (zh)
JP (1) JP4315929B2 (zh)
CN (1) CN100480076C (zh)
DE (1) DE602006004639D1 (zh)

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP5142073B2 (ja) * 2007-09-19 2013-02-13 スズキ株式会社 後部車体構造
JP2013043474A (ja) * 2011-08-22 2013-03-04 Toyota Auto Body Co Ltd ショックアブソーバの取付構造
CN102582387B (zh) * 2012-03-21 2015-11-18 重庆长安汽车股份有限公司 一种汽车后悬安装总成结构
KR101394760B1 (ko) * 2012-10-10 2014-05-15 기아자동차주식회사 자동차의 프런트 쇽업소버용 강성 보강 장치
DE102012019936B4 (de) * 2012-10-11 2022-09-08 Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Karosseriestruktur für ein Fahrzeug
JP5999018B2 (ja) * 2013-05-08 2016-09-28 マツダ株式会社 車両の後部車体構造
CN105818869B (zh) * 2016-05-03 2018-02-06 中国第一汽车股份有限公司 一种后轮罩搭接结构及汽车白车身

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1911127A1 (de) * 1969-03-05 1970-09-17 Porsche Kg Abstuetzung eines aus Stossdaempfer und Haupttragfeder bestehenden Federaggregates fuer Kraftfahrzeuge
JP3531968B2 (ja) 1994-05-13 2004-05-31 本田技研工業株式会社 自動車の後部車体構造
JP4188033B2 (ja) * 2002-08-30 2008-11-26 本田技研工業株式会社 油圧緩衝機の取付構造
JP3866176B2 (ja) * 2002-09-18 2007-01-10 本田技研工業株式会社 車体構造

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1721810A2 (en) 2006-11-15
CN100480076C (zh) 2009-04-22
DE602006004639D1 (de) 2009-02-26
CN1861432A (zh) 2006-11-15
EP1721810A3 (en) 2007-07-25
JP4315929B2 (ja) 2009-08-19
JP2006315557A (ja) 2006-11-24

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP1721809B1 (en) Automotive rear body structure
EP1721810B1 (en) Automotive body structure
EP2033879B1 (en) Vehicle front structure
US7237833B1 (en) Vehicle body structure
EP1609702A1 (en) Floor panel structure and vehicle body provided therewith
EP1990262B1 (en) Vehicle rear portion structure
JPH08113161A (ja) 自動車の上部車体構造
EP1741619B1 (en) Underbody structure of sliding-door vehicle
WO2008062759A1 (fr) Structure de portière de véhicule
US6402172B1 (en) Suspension frame construction
US20040051292A1 (en) Vehicle body structure employing gussets fastened to cross member portion between damper bases
US20090184542A1 (en) Rear vehicle body structure
JP4335841B2 (ja) ハッチバック型車両の後部車体構造
EP0919452A2 (en) Bumper-mounting structure for frame-mounted-body vehicle
EP3887205B1 (en) Vehicle trunk lid
EP3632779B1 (en) Front vehicle body structure for vehicle
US7469950B2 (en) Impact boom noise reducing panel reinforcement
JP3311648B2 (ja) 自動車のフレームメンバ補強構造
JP3514966B2 (ja) 後輪懸架装置の支持構造
JP2010274747A (ja) ワイパー取付ブラケットの配置構造
JPH08169360A (ja) 車両用サブフレーム構造
JP2541768Y2 (ja) 自動車の下部車体構造
JP3367361B2 (ja) 自動車の後部車体構造
JP3497762B2 (ja) 自動車におけるスペアタイヤの支持構造
WO2020261917A1 (ja) 車体後部構造

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL BA HR MK YU

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Extension state: AL BA HR MK YU

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20070907

AKX Designation fees paid

Designated state(s): DE GB

GRAP Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1

GRAS Grant fee paid

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): DE GB

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: FG4D

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 602006004639

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 20090226

Kind code of ref document: P

PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed

Effective date: 20091008

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 20120328

Year of fee payment: 7

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 20120419

Year of fee payment: 7

GBPC Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20130403

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20131101

Ref country code: GB

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20130403

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R119

Ref document number: 602006004639

Country of ref document: DE

Effective date: 20131101